Ancient Egypt

"Ancient Egypt" is the perfect antidote to those Time-Life books about ancient civilizations, where you look at the pictures and read the text and wonder, "is that all there is?"Well, of course there is. The problem is finding it. This collection of essays uses words, pictures, artwork and imaginative reconstructions to describe the ancient world ruled by gods and which built monuments that have lasted millennia.The book's 15 chapters opens all aspects of the Nile kingdom's world. In addition to the expected sections on the pyramids, its hieroglyphs and Pharaohs, "Ancient Egypt" also delves into religious beliefs, political campaigns, the role of women, the development of towns and trade and the daily rituals of its people. Wrapped around the text are superlative photographs, shorter articles about equally fascinating subjects (a profile of Ramesses the Great in the section on Pharaohs, for example, or on the "letters" to the dead, written on simple pottery bowls and deposited in the tomb or coffin), plenty of colorful reproductions of Egyptian art so vivid that the course of individual brush-strokes could be seen, and commissioned drawings giving theories of how pyramids were built, and what the Temple of Karnak must have looked like at its height. But what really shines are the little touches. A closeup of an Egyptian artist, his scruffy hair and scraggy beard making him look like a New York bohemian, using an odd-shaped tool on a wooden beam; the vivid face of a long-dead woman painted on a board and included with her mummy wrappings, gazing at the reader with the poise of nobility; a piece of prose passed among the scribes that mocks all other trades ("the potter is under the soil, although he stands among the living / He grubs in the mud more than a pig in order to bake his pots"); a drawing of a fortress built to impress the Nubians in southern Egypt, looking for all the world, with its towers and crenellations like something out of medieval Europe.So much about ancient Egypt seems so familiar, but, really, we were just watching "The Ten Commandments," or remembering the villain King Tut from the old Batman TV show."Ancient Egypt" shows us what we were missing.

David Silverman, author of several fine books as well as Curator of the Egyptian Collection at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, has made a major contribution to the literature in this comprehensive, engagingly written and well-illustrated volume. I have to admit a bias, since I studied hieroglyphics in one of his classes at the University of Chicago a while ago. His enthusiasm and knowledge shine forth in this mature work, which draws on the talents of the best people in the field today. I would give this book a ten-star rating!

I have always been fascinated with ancient egypt, and have many books on the location, and its history. This is a perfect coffee table book, in fact, I have it on my coffee table always. The images are vivid, and some breathtaking. There are historical details about the land, its culture, myths, gods, etc. The book also has wonderful images of many of the artifacts found in tombs during excavations, as well as detailed accounts of some of the gods and goddesses and their lives and influences on society. Other topics covered are the tombs, artwork, language, architecture, women in egypt and their roles, etc. wonderful book.

This is a very interesting and extremely readable book. The writer does not try to cram information, rather he arranges the information as well as the illustrations in a balanced and attractive way. He is also honest about what information is in question and what evidence is considered reliable. There are many colorful illustrations and this makes it all the more interesting to read and get involved. The writer makes a civilisation of long ago come alive today.

Used this book during a visit to the ancient sites of Egypt and found it superb as an extension of the information provided by local guides. Really helped to bring ancient Egypt alive, even returned with a replica of the blue hippopotamus shown on page 219. Occasional cross reference errors such as Page 115 ref to 'illustration, p126' is actually on p122, and (I think) ref to tomb of Ramesses IV on p114 should read Ramesses VI, having visited the actual tomb in The Valley of the Kings. This however did not detract from the overall superb value including first class details of Egypts real treasures,'The Temple of Karnak' p208-208 and 'Inside the Great Pyramid' p182-183. These diagrams alone make the book worth taking on a visit.